Road drag



T. SORENSEN Oct. 4, 1966 ROAD DRAG 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, 1965 INVENTOR Theodore Sorensen lloicufnw, WM

ATTORNEYS T. SORENSEN Oct. 4, 1966 ROAD DRAG Filed June 29, 1965 S Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Theodore Sorensen ATTORNEYS T. SORENSEN Oct. 4, 1966 ROAD DRAG 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 29, 1965 INVENTOR Theodore Sorensen Rkhwii s: I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,276,153 ROAD DRAG Theodore Sorensen, 7 Vincent Road, Spring Valley, N.Y. Filed June 29, 1965, Ser. No. 467,912 3 Claims. (Cl. 37-148) This invention relates generally to road machines and more in particular to a road drag, by means of which roads may be levelled or given the proper grade.

In order to provide a simple device to properly grade a road bed it is necessary that the device have a single scraper bar and that the draw bar remain parallel with the center line of the road, which necessitates the provision of a single draw bar.

Heretofore road drags have been provided with a plurality of scraper bars, each bar leaving a single ridge of dirt, which requires further levelling. This condition is aggravated when the draw bar does not remain parallel with the center line of the road.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a road drag with a single draw bar operating from the center of the scraper bar with auxiliary means to maintain the scraper bar at a preset angle to the draw bar.

:It is another object of this invention to provide a simple device for use in remote sections of the world where maintenance of the more complicated road grading equipment presents many major problems.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a road drag havinga scraper bar that may be preset at any desired angle with the draw bar.

The various features of novelty which characterize this invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, however, its advantages, and specific objects obtained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the complete road drag.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a View, partially in section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 1, showing the scraper bar in various adjusted positions.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view on line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a modification of the skid device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a plan view on line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 of FIG. 7.

As illustrated in the drawings, a road drag is shown which comprises a central draw bar 15 having mounted at the forward end thereof a hitch plate 16, shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. The hitch plate 16 has a series of holes therethrough so that the connected link 17 may be so arranged as to bring the towing force into line with the draw bar 15. Pivotally mounted at 20 on .the other end of the draw bar is a scraper bar assembly 18 which consists of an angle iron 19 pivotally mounted at 20 and having the scraper bar 21 bolted thereto by means of the bolts 22, shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

A cross bar 23 is pivotally mounted at 24 on the draw bar 15. A spacer bar 25 has one end pivotally mounted at 26 on the scraper bar assembly and the other end pivotally mounted at 27 on the cross bar. A second spacer bar 30 is pivoted to the scraper bar assembly at 31 and to the cross bar at 32, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Mounted on the draw bar 15 are anchor plates 33, 34 and 35. Attached to these anchor plates are adjustable links 36 and 37 which in turn are attached to the spacer Patented Oct. 4, 1966 bars 25 and 30. These adjustable links comprise pivoted end portions 38 and 39 which are mounted by means of bolts so as to pivot around the parts to which they are attached. Connecting these end portions 38 and 39 is the threaded turnbuckle 40, which permits the adjustment of the length of the link 37. The link 36 is constructed in the same manner and mounted in the same manner.

The boxes 41 and 42 are symmetrically mounted on the scraper bar assembly on each side of the draw bar. These boxes provide a means of adding a weight or weights to maintain the scraper bar in contact with the road bed.

Mounted under the spacer bars 25 and 30 are the skids 43 and 44, shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6. These skids consist of the skid plates 45 attached at each end. by the bolts 46 and 47, having the shims 48 and 49 between the skid plate 45 and the spacer bar on which they are mounted. The number of shims placed between the skid bar and the spacer bar determine the height that the spacer bar is held off of the ground. When the skid 43 is higher than the skid 44, as shown in FIG. 6, one end of the scraper bar will dig in and move the earth towards the other end of the scraper bar, where it will be. deposited under this bar because the bar does not touch the road bed.

A modified type of skid is shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, wherein the spacer bar 50 has an anchor plate 51 mount ed thereon. Attached to this anchor plate is the adjustable link 52 comprising pivot portions 53 and 54 at each end thereof with a turnbuckle 55 mounted therebetween, which is threadedly connected to the portions 53 and 54, thereby allowing the adjustment of the overall length of the link 52. The skid plate 56 has the pivoted link 57 mounted at one end thereof, said link 57 holding the skid plate in swinging position under the spacer bar 50. The other end of the skid bar 56 has a link 59 pivotally mounted thereon which protrudes through the spacer bar 50 and is held in position by the rod 58. The upper end of the link 59 is connected to the portion 54 of the adjustable link 52. By adjusting the length of this link the distance between the skid 56 and the spacer bar 50 may be controlled.

In operation, the scraper bar assembly 18 is arranged as shown in FIG. 1 with the skids beneath the spacer bars 24 and 30, as shown in FIG. 6. The adjustable links 36 and 37 connect the spacer bars 25 and 30 to the anchor plates 33 and 35, as shown in FIG. 1. On being moved forward, the draw bar 15 rides parallel to the center line of the road, and the scraper bar assembly picks up the earth on the upper end thereof and deposits it in the center portion of the road, as shown in FIG. 6. When it is desired to reverse the direction of move ment of the earth, the link 37 is attached to the anchor plate 35 and the link 36 is attached to the anchor plate 33, as shown in FIG. 4. The skid adjustment is then made by removing the necessary number of shims from the side where the cut is to be made and placing them under the side where the earth is to be deposited.

If it is desired to produce a straight drag, which is necessary in filling ruts, without grading any additional crown to the road bed, the links 36 and 37 are attached to the center anchor plate 34, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, and the skid plates are so adjusted by means of the shims as to throw the earth where desired.

The modified skids, shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, when mounted on each side of the road drag can be adjusted to give the desired pitch to the scraper bar assembly by means of their adjustable link assembly 52.

It is essential that the skids 43 and 44 be mounted on the road drag ahead of the scraper bar assembly, in order to control the depth to which this bar will cut. the skids were mounted behind the scraper bar, there would be no control over the cut made by the road drag illustrated in the present invention. It is therefore essential that the skids be placed ahead of the scraper bar. It is also essential that one single draw bar be used, and that this be centrally located in the road drag assembly in order to force the road drag to pull parallel with the road bed. It is necessary to bring the towing force applied at the link 17 to the plate 15 .into line with the draw bar in order to prevent :the draw bar from pivoting about the scraper bar and raising the skids clear of the road bed.

The simple device illustrated and described in this application does not require specially machined parts, and may be repaired in remote sections by primitive equipment usually found in a blacksmiths shop.

While, in accordance with the provisions of the Statutes, there has been illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of this invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the road drag disclosed without departing from the spirit of this invention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some cases, certain features of this invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

1. A road drag, which comprises in combination:

(a) a central draw bar having a scraper bar pivoted at the rear end thereof,

(b) a cross bar pivotally mounted on the draw bar,

(c) spacer bars pivotally connected to the end of the cross bar and the scraper bar,

((1) adjustable (skids mounted under each of said spacer bars, and

(e) a link between the end of each spacer bar and said draw bar, said links being spaced along the draw bar to give the proper pitch to the scraper bar.

2. A road drag, which comprises in combination:

(a) a central draw bar having a scraper bar pivoted at the rear end thereof,

(b) a crossbar pivotally mounted on the draw bar, H

(c) spacer bars pivotally connected to the end of the cross bar and the scraper bar,

(d) adjustable skids mounted under each of said spacer bars,

(e) an adjustable link between the end of each spacer bar and said draw bar, said links being spaced along the draw bar to give the proper pitch to the scraper bar, and

(f) a hitch plate mounted on the draw bar at the end remote from the scraper bar and rising therefrom, said hitch plate being provided with a series of vertically spaced openings to connect a draft link.

3. A road drag, which comprises in combination:

(a) a central draw bar having a scraper bar pivoted at the rear end thereof,

(b) a cross bar pivotally mounted on the draw bar,

(c) spacer bars pivotally connected to the end of the cross bar and the scraper bar,

((1) adjustable skids mounted under each of said spacer bars,

(e) an adjustable link between the end of each spacer bar and said draw bar, said links being spaced along the draw bar to give the proper pitch to the scraper bar,

(f) a hitch plate mounted on the draw bar at the end remote from the scraper bar and rising therefrom, said hitch plate being provided with a series of vertically spaced openings to connect a draft link, and

(g) means provided on said scraper bar to receive loading means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 298,604 5/1884 Mendenh-all 37-168 442,975 12/1890 Holland 37-155 901,806 10/1908 Guffey 37-177 1,045,080 11/1912 Purnell 172-387 1,232,314 7/1917 Hubbard 37-148 1,327,047 1/1920 Kimbley 37-155 1,428,973 9/1922 NOrthOn 37-150 1,441,971 1/1923 Dittrich 37-176 1,558,468 10/19325 CoX 37-149 2,843,948 7/1958 Lindeman 37-178 2,960,170 11/1960 Cantral 172-611 X ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner. JOE O. BOLT, IR., Exa'miner. 

1. A ROAD DRAG, WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION: (A) A CENTRAL DRAW BAR HAVING A SCRAPER BAR PIVOTED AT THE REAR END THEREOF, (B) A CROSS BAR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON THE DRAW BAR, (C) SPACER BARS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE CROSS BAR AND THE SCRAPER BAR, (D) ADJUSTABLE SKIDS MOUNTED UNDER EACH OF SAID SPACER BARS, AND (E) A LINK BETWEEN THE END OF EACH SPACER BAR AND SAID DRAW BAR, SAID LINKS BEING SPACED ALONG THE DRAW BAR TO GIVE THE PROPER PITCH TO THE SCRAPER BAR. 